Scene #8612: PMD 3: Preparing for an Expedition!

Owner	Pose
Petra Soroka	You're all awoken by a smooth voice projecting from seemingly nowhere, like a radio announcer broadcasting into the underground Guild building. It's the morning after you fell asleep in the Pokemon world-- despite the week that's passed, it seems that no time here has passed beyond the night itself. "Gooo~ood morning, Pokemon! It's a beautiful sunny morning, mild temperatures all around, except for those of you near that toasty new volcano dungeon, but you don't need me to tell you that, ahahaha~ We've got some reports back from an exploration team saying they found a whole new type of Orb, more on that later, and Gummi supply is looking be-autiful. This has been Meloetta with your morning news, and now let's start the day off with a song and a smile!" For most of you, the process of getting back here was a simple reversal of how you left. Rather than needing to trek all the way back out to the forest-- why had you needed to, anyways?-- you simply remember going to sleep the night before as a human (etc.), and waking up in your communal hay beds as Pokemon. Despite all going to sleep at different times, likely hours and hours apart, you all arrive here at the same time. For some of you, it's a little different. Woz: The distortion that returns Woz to the Pokemon world is, as before, unwritten in his book. In fact, when he was transported back to the normal world after last week, it's as if his book entirely rewrote itself. Every mention of the Pokemon world was scrubbed away, replaced with the usual prognostication for his typical future, the same way the normal world was erased from the book when he was in the Pokemon world. It's as if he's being transported to a different, completely irreconcilably timeline, where nothing he does or can do overlaps between the futures. Ru Li: Ru Li, being sleepless, isn't gently carried off into the Pokemon world while unconscious. Instead, he's visited by that bellchime signal again, identical in tone to the lullaby he heard before leaving the Pokemon world, but incomprehensible and wordless. It inflects up at the end, rising in pitch, and then his perception abruptly shifts to the room in the Guild. Angela and Cinder: Angela, of course, never properly goes to the Pokemon world. While Cinder and Petra are talking in the smoking lounge, Petra pulls on the Eggpack without thinking and immediately vanishes, closely followed by Cinder. Cinder goes from being mid-conversation, to seeing Petra disappear, to slowly stirring from sleep as a Cyndaquil, in under a minute. Angela sees similarly to Ru Li-- when Petra, ver. Minun, wakes up, she has the Porygon strapped to her back, and its camera, after some odd distortion, plays back to Angela's monitor. It's now the morning of the last day before the expedition, a fact that Spinda, sleeping in the same room as the Elites, immediately informs everyone of. They pop up to their feet right as Meloetta starts talking, claps their hands, then wobbles and falls back into the pile of hay, too excited to stay stable. Spinda: "Today-ay-ay-ah--!" Spinda: "We get rea-eady for the expedition!" Spinda: "Let's be sure to eat a bi-i-i-i-ig breakfast!"
Kale Hearthward	"Ugh... morning..." Left Kale wakes up first. "Am I going to always get a splitting headache every time this happens..." "Wait, we haven't missed like, a whole week? How does that work... nevermind, figuring stuff out is gonna be Righty's problem." A bit unsteadily, Left Kale manages to get the shared body up to his/its/their feet, and from there staggers over towards the sound of the voice, or any olfactory indications of where breakfast might be. "Please tell me that breakfast includes coffee... the fate of the world is going to depend on it. Or whatever it is we're here for," he says, mostly to himself.
Timespace Riders	Woz: "Felicitations, my Demon King. What a beautiful morning." Woz: "...Would that we might enjoy it in human form." Sougo: "I'm not sweating it, Woz. It's like you said--we have to save this world for this to stop happening, right?" Woz: "Indeed. However... this book's omens are mutually exclusive between this world and the greater Multiverse; it occupies a completely different spacetime, much less a given point. Thus... Woz: "Predicting events between these excursions is not possible." Sougo: "That's not great, but it's not the end of the world. ...haha, maybe that's not the best expression to use." Woz nods, then turns to Spinda, his tail coiling around the book as he hops off of his hay bed. The book disappears impossibly between the coils of his tail, a strange sleight of hand squirreling it away for the moment. Woz: "It would indeed be wise to prepare thusly." Woz: "Direct me to your provisions and I will prepare a meal worthy of such an undertaking."
Ru Li Cheng	It's not unpleasant, really. The chime is a gentle thing, a gentle calling. It's a wordless, incomprehensible bell that reminds him a little of gathering-bells he'd heard in the distance over the centuries, gathering bells for festivals that he had to be present at but never part of, gathering bells for events he had to know of but never join. And, just like those times, he's markedly different from everyone else - when his perception shifts into the body of the strange, tall, dangerous creature that he becomes, instead of one of the cute little things everyone else is. The ticking of the key in his back starts up as his bright eye flies open. The other eye remains hidden by a metal plate. His tail flexes slightly as he lifts into the air, already hovering with only the most minor of difficulties. Another marked difference between 'Ru Li' and 'everyone else.' Ru Li: <Ah...good morning. What will we be having, then? I...er...> The strange catlike face goes through the same motions everyone who has ever thought about 'do Pokemon eat meat' and 'if so, where does it come from' and 'oh God do Pokemon eat other Pokemon' has. Ru Li: <...I trust it will be suitable for all of us?>
Angela	Angela had a long day already and has decided to take a break from using the internet for a while. She receives a report that Cinder and Petra vanished again--the Eggpack is on and, well, Angela is actually a bit hesitant to just pop back in because of reasons relating to taking a break from the internet for a while but ultimately Angela is inclined to be in Petra's company when possible rather than not, even if it involves turning into a holographic duck of some kind. There's something nice and charming about the pokemon world, Angela reflects, it's got it's issues and is kind of messed up when she dwells on it too long but there's a lot of nature and she imagines what it'd be like living with a sky above your head for once. The closest she gets to that is in Welfare with the false hole in the ceiling (floor). She wonders for a moment what happens to their bodies when they are back home and the like and asks Spinda, "Ah Spinda. We didn't happen to ...vanish off anywhere, did we?" Spinda offers breakfast. Angela goes quiet. "........Understood." This is karma for looking up vore, Angela thinks to herself as she leans back in her chair and closes her eyes. Cinder, meanwhile says, "Guess this will keep happening until we figure out what the fuck." but takes it in stride otherwise. "Oh hell yeah, breakfast. I could eat a..." Would saying 'I could eat a horse' be offensive in this world? "A really big breakfast." she settles on.
Aidan Proudpick	It's fine to like this, right? It happens when Aidan is asleep. He can't be doing anything else during this time. He can't be training. Doing spywork. Helping people. He's JUST asleep. It HAS to be okay to enjoy this, right? The patrat opens his wild eyes, looking around in the haypiles. He snaps up to a 45 degree angle almost immediately, arms thrust into the air. "WOOHOO!" His eyes snap around. He doesn't see Petra at first. Annnnd there's Kale. Fuck. The gopherish creature sits there for a long moment to contemplate the ramifications of being angry because Kale is here and will probably be a jerk to him. And then Spinda announces a big breakfast. Aidan thrusts both arms in the air and lets out a mighty whoop of joy. "Let's go! BIG BREAKFAST!" He leaps off the hay pile, scampering on all four paws.
Hellwarming Trio	It happened again. It comes without warning, too, as the trio of youkai had expected to have to come out to the same spot they were at last time to show up in the strange dream world of Pokemon. They had even gone to bed bright and early in preparation for an early flight over, but instead, they're already here! Utsuho: "We're already here? Hnn... My mouth feels gross." Rin: "Didja forget to brush your teethrush last night? I've got a... Wait. No pockets." Satori: "Why were you keeping a toothbrush in there? Why did that corpse have a...? Never mind." With more energy than expected from not having to make an early flight just to sleep, the trio is looking ready and raring to go! When Spinda mentions breakfast and Woz brings up cooking, though, they're just as quick to stay put instead of rushing right out. Utsuho and Rin check on Petra/Angela/Cinder and Ru Li (respectively) while Satori, after making sure her green head thing isn't bent from her however-long sleep in this form, moves to join Woz. Utsuho: "Hey, guys! You need another pick me up like last time? Or is that one that looks like you handling it?" Rin: "Yo! You havin' an easier time with this than walkin', right? This form's kinda... Weird. Only one tail, but yours is really something else." Satori: "Good morning, Woz. Do you need an extra hand with that? I might not be as skilled as my servants back home, but I've been meaning to try something new I've seen on TV."
Vantablitz Remnants	It is probably relevant to custom that Ahn and Lotus both wake up in kind of a heap. Like cats that sleep in the same house, sloppily tangled over each other in a way that shook out as especially warm and cozy. Not even wildly changing heights and morphology really altered that, seeing as Lotus simply stays a kind of amorphous blob Pokemon here too. It's Ahn that wakes up first, attempting to rub her eye, bonking against the bone mask she hadn't even tried to take off yet for some reason, and says "What actually is a Pokemon anyways?" "Nnnnh?" "Like . . . What does that mean?" "What does human mean?" "It means 'made of earth'." ". . . Really?" "Yeah." "My. That's actually true, isn't it?" "So what does Pokemon mean?" "Best eaten raw." "N-no, I don't think they have Hawaiian food here anyways." 'Wait, we haven't missed like, a whole week? How does that work...' "Oh. You too?" Ahn says to Kale, meaning something very different, but appearing altogether more relieved, and slightly put at ease. "Oh I really hope there's coffee . . ." she says. "I can barely get up without it . . ." Lotus, pouring herself out of bed and verbing into the room in the way of ground vines crawling forward over time, says (somehow) "You can barely get up with it, too." '...Would that we might enjoy it in human form.' "Guh. Yeah. I don't feel. Great about this." Ahn says, then ends up yawning while stretching her stumpy arms anyways. "Ah, this again? I've already accepted I just won't understand it, but . . ." Ahn seems oddly happy to see Spinda. Maybe because they're just such a goofy goober that she can't feel down for long in their presence. They're like the special treat for coming here. "I'd love to! Having a big breakfast is so important! I never go down the m-- I never go on expeditions without one~" Lotus bubbles up from a flat puddle into a solid shape. Or. It's more like the jelly 'grows' from the floor. "I--" "No!"
Meika Kirenai	Meika takes a solid few moments to slowly sit up, and rub at her bleary eyes, still clearly a ways until she's really, properly awake. There's no loud alarm, no panicked rush of an emergency, and all her instincts are kicking at her to savor the rest. It's a relief it didn't come with dreams. Still, when Spinda makes their way in, and offers up their spiel, she puts in the work to mumble out a response. Meika: "Breakfast, right, sorry, I'll... be down to cook in a.." She freezes, mid mumble, and looks around. It's not her home, it's not family hollering, and if there's chores for her to do, they're likely to be separate kinds than she's used to. Her stomach grumbles. Meika: "Oh. Right. Thanks, Spinda. Do-" A slow blink, and Meika staggers up, and shuffles towards where the dizzy Spinda had collapsed into the haypile. Meika giggles, as she sticks a clawed paw out towards them, the sound escaping past a smile. It's hard for her to watch them tumble around and not think back on playing with her younger sisters, when they were little enough to not have their coordination down pat, and little enough that that didn't really matter. Meika: "Hey. If you've got to get down to grab breakfast too, ...do you need a hand up?"
Timespace Riders	Sougo: "I dunno, Mia! But I'm sure you'll figure it out when you start to smell Woz's cooking. Maybe you could just... put your face in it? That's what I was gonna do!" Satori offers to help with cooking, and Meika, to cook outright. Woz turns his kitty nose up. Woz:"Impossible."
Petra Soroka	Spinda: "Hu-uh?" Spinda: "Coffee?" A damning omen for this world. Even if it's possible to save, with this debilitating flaw, is it even worth it? It's possible that there's alternative stimulants, but Spinda clearly does not know what coffee is. "We didn't happen to ...vanish off anywhere, did we?" Spinda: "Vanish?" Spinda: "Did you lea-ea-eave in the middle of the night?" Spinda: "That's no-o-o-o good! You need your sleep!" Petra clambers to her feet, yawning and rubbing her eyes with a little hand. Her ears twitch as she looks around, eyes blearily half-closed, and wanders over to Cinderquil, recognizing her without fully recognizing the situation. She offers her a hand up and idly pets her on the head, then taps the arm of the Porygon on her back. Petra: "Morning, Cinder." Petra: "Morning, Angela." Petra: "Morning, Kale-- huh?" Petra: "Oh, wait, we're here again." Petra: "God, I got scared for a second." In response to Utsuho's question, Petra pauses and pats herself down, then smiles, electricity sparking out of her cheeks. Petra: "Hey! I feel fine!" Petra: "Maybe all that was a one time thing?" Spinda: "Hmm-mm-mm?" Spinda: "What does 'hu-u-uman' mean?" Spinda: "Is that a ground-type Pokemon?" Spinda, from the ground, emphatically rolls around to reject Meika's offer up. They struggle back up to their feet, wobbling around on one leg for a moment, then manage to get the second one securely on the ground as well. They throw their hands up in the air in celebration, an act that immediately puts them back on one leg. Spinda: "Ta-dah!" Spinda: "I can do it on my ow-ow-own!" Spinda: "If I needed help li-i-ike that, then I could never survive in a du-u-ungeo-- oops--!" Outside the room, the Guild's main hall is full of activity that was absent when you arrived in the dead of night. Pokemon mill around, some looking at the billboard on the wall with paper noticed pinned to it, some chatting in corners, many loitering around the large doors on one end of the room that remain closed, for now. Tinkaton and Liligant are conversing with a gathering of Wooper, standing in a disorganized clump and murmuring to each other as much as they're talking to the Guild leaders. Wooper: "How many more?" Wooper and Liligant, simultaneously: "Sixteen more." "Sixteen newcomers, as I have said." Wooper: Sixteen's a lot. Woop." Wooper: "That's so many." Wooper: "It's a lot." Wooper: "Well, our guy's big." Wooper: "That's true. But it's a lot." Tinkaton: "But your GUY is BIG! KA-BAM!" Liligant: "Ahem. It is as the Guildmaster says. Wailord should be more than capable of accomodating the additional weight." Liligant: "We'll accomodate you as necessary, of course."
Petra Soroka	Meanwhile, Valence is at the door right as Kale staggers out. She swings the door open with a stubby arm right as Kale is reaching for it, making him stumble. Rather than the nightcap she'd worn the night before, Valence has a towel tied up on top of her head, expert and complicated folding somehow weaving it between and around her rabbitlike ears. Valence: "Good morning, everyone!" Valence: "Who's ready to help out in the kitchen?~" That's very emphatically, 'help out'. Much to Woz's dismay, the kitchen is staffed for feeding a hundred people decent food-- not the place for a chef. His comments about cooking breakfast are taken as volunteering, though, and he's dragged off by Valence along with Petra and Satori. While they're put to work in the kitchen alongside a Beedrill and the three colored monkey Pokemon they met last night-- apparently, the breakfast consists entirely of fruits, but they need preparation and plating-- the rest of the guild gathers outside the doors of the mess hall, waiting for it to be ready.
Aidan Proudpick	"Wooooaaaaaahhhh," exclaims Aidan as he wanders past the crowd of Wooper. Aidan is in one spot, looking at a cool Pineco, then in another, talking to a Bidoof, then over at a Sandile, then this big ol Obstagoon! Then he is at the board. A real quest board!! Then back at the 'communal isekai bedroom', "Come on, you are going to miss all the fun stuff!" before he scampers back into the group waiting at the mess hall.
Angela	"Mornin', Petra!" Cinder says chirpily, even though the words from the last visit are sticking with her and is kind of stomaching it down right now because what she wants, more than anything, is to help Petra in the way that she can and having some force in another world simply create her in a manner that says she can't... Maybe she can complain to the manager of this world, Cinder thinks, or whatever pulld her into this situation. But right now it doesn't seem quite as bad as the train it's just sort of ... cute and weird. She's not sure she has it in her to complain just yet. "Hopefully," Angela says to the idea of it being a one time thing. "I can help!" Cinder jumps in at the request to help, jogging over to the Valence as the flame on her back flares up briefly in excitement. She can cook! Of course, sometimes she cooks too much... And this is fruit, so. But still. Angela continues to sit on Petra's back, trying not to think about food, her gaze instead focusing on Ahn for a moment, just quietly watching her and--Lotus, she assumes Lotus is the puddle.
Kale Hearthward	No coffee? Is this... is this world worth saving after all? To Petra: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. See if you're complaining when it comes time to fight whatever it is that brought us here, and I'm one of the few that's actually pulling their weight on that." Left Kale is still set on that, it seems. Kale, coming out, gets hit right in the head that's still asleep, causing a rude awakening and a brief bout of fighting himself as Right Kale assumes he's under attack by Left Kale. Once that's cleared up, both Kales briefly inquire further about the lack of coffee, before heading out into the hall proper. "... They're talking about transportation options, especially for our large group," says Right Kale. "Well that's not a problem, we can fly after all." "... Can we? That was all Tabtrack, and I'm pretty sure we're not wearing any boots right now..." Left Kale glances at the line waiting to get breakfast, then to the rest of the Sector Zero Isekai Group. "We've got a few minutes. Anyone else feel like feeling out what we can do like this?" he says before heading out towards the exit, towards one of the open-ish areas he recalled seeing outside.
Timespace Riders	Woz:"Humans are a 'Normal' type, from very far away. We will not see any here, Spinda." Woz purses his whiskered lips and narrows his eyes in mild annoyance at the way in which 'help out' is uttered, but it lasts only a moment, before it is replaced with resolve of far more intense measure. Woz:"Very well--" He says, one paw over his chest, head held triumphantly high, Woz:"I shall assist, with gusto--?!" His spirited oath is cut short as he's whisked away into helping, his proud expression given way to blinking confusion. Then, into the kitchen proper, it deflates with a sigh. His technique varies depending on the size and shape of the fruits--longer fruits are rotated a quarter between cuts with his paws while his tail works the knife. Shorter ones are cut into even wedges. He's remarkably fast despite a quietly petulant insistence on at least a little presentation. Sougo, meanwhile, files in behind the Wooper crowd. Sougo: "Hi!" He tries to stand on his hind legs like Woz does, but nearly falls over after going for a daring wave. With one of his little startled 'uwohs,' he's back on all four. Sougo: "I'm Sougo--one of the newcomers. My retainer, Woz, is helping in the kitchen! Did you have someplace you wanted us to be? I, um, heard the talk about the 'big guy.'"
Hellwarming Trio	> Petra: "Hey! I feel fine!" > Petra: "Maybe all that was a one time thing?" Utsuho: "Oh, cool. Let's hope so! If it happens again, though, I think I've got it figured out this time!" She has no reason to be this confident, of course. She simply is. > Woz: "Impossible." Satori: "Ah...?" Satori: "A-alright. I can get the..." Rin: "Mornin'! Hehe... I'll make sure to give everyone a show and a meal, then!" Utsuho: "Hey there! Oh, okay. I've got some new moves Master taught me, so sure!" Satori: "Good morning... Oh? I guess we could help out if you really need us in there." Valence seems to have different ideas, as the trio find themselves getting conscripted into helping out in the kitchen! Utsuho and Rin take the opportunity in the Guild hall to really gawk at all the new stuff in their surroundings. The sheer number of unfamiliar faces, new colors, and so many scents and sounds coming at them at once has them drinking it all in. It's almost like home, but not quite. Satori gets to be a little smug despite already resigning herself to not doing so from that initial rejection. While being dragged along, she staggers slightly and braces herself against Valence, needing a moment to reorient herself and brace against all those voices and thoughts slamming right into her head. Satori takes a breather, then gives her a brief nod before continuing on to join the crew in the kitchen. She actually seems pretty comfortable getting the fruit prepared, of all things. Her knife work is a little messy at first thanks to not being used to whatever qualifies as hands on a Ralts. By the time she mangles a fourth apple, though, she's figured it out enough that there's little wasted apple left on the skin! Realizing this form has a different sort of psychic power to help her aim a knife also helps quiet a bit. Utsuho and Rin, meanwhile, get to help in their own way: Searing things. Even in thse forms, their control is actually quite good, and they're able to add light crisping and caramelization to some of the dishes for that extra bit of color and texture. Utsuho's a little more heavy-handed, of course, so there's some that might look a little more burnt in comparison (even if they taste fine). Rin gets to show off some more by adding little patterns with her flames, although there might be a few close calls when she tries it on grapes.
Vantablitz Remnants	'God, I got scared for a second.' "Haha, yeah! I'd startle really badly if I just woke up and someone I barely know was right there! I'm no good at sleepovers or anything!" "Wouldn't that mean . . . ?" "--Wait. Yeah. So Cinder and you . . . ?" 'What does 'hu-u-uman' mean?' "Made of earth~" Lotus proudly repeats. "You're totally correct~ Hahaha!" Ahn gives her a whiny-looking glare. While wandering around to fetch water and generally stretch her leg, Ahn passes close enough by the main hall close enough to stop and listen in. "Huh. I guess there are a lot of us." ". . ." "Your guy? Or. Our guy?" "Wailord . . . He sounds really big and strong. I bet he's super cool." "Or--" "No, that'd be Wailady, right?" Ahn is, at first, very enthusiastic to help in the kitchen. This enthusiasm is imminently curbed by "Not even rice noodles?", but she's committed to the bit anyways. She takes a reasonable amount with her, but ends up just upending most of her plate into Lotus who-- Oh. Oh it just kind of. Oh that's a little scary. Ahn contents herself with only a little fresh fruit and a lot of water, but heads outside, through the nearest window if even slightly convenient, at the earliest opportunity. Staying reasonably close, she awkwardly shuffles to cross her little cubone legs underneath her, and then sit on a slightly elevated spot in the sunlight, where she goes unusually still. Just barely, one can hear her repeating a constantly shifting chain of seemingly nonsense syllables under her breath. Lotus sprawls out, in her currently ditto-ish way, beside her. The morphic pokemass she is made of habitually opens into a cluster of vividly bone white, vantablack, and ghostly green flowers out of memory, drinking in the morning. 'We've got a few minutes. Anyone else feel like feeling out what we can do like this?' "How do you mean?" Ahn replies. She can apparently still hear just fine, even though she has to raise her voice.
Kale Hearthward	> "How do you mean?" "Work out how we're going to fight like this," says Left Kale, head twisting around to look back at Ahn. "And specifically, I want to see if these wings aren't just for show."
Vantablitz Remnants	"Can't you just, like, peck them? Or something?" says Ahn. "Or, no, ostriches kick predators, don't they? So try that." "It's not as if a few minutes of sparring is going to teach you anything about having a totally new body. You really don't have time to master anything right now, so it's best if we just focus on what we can do that will help the most in this amount of time."
Dysnomia	Dysnomia: "Stick my face i--" Dysnomia: "Stars, that's the only way, isn't it." Dysnomia let Valence grab the others around her, slithering with the others. Her attention snapped to the leadership's conversation with the Woopers, and she took the chance to approach. She pulled her tail up beside her, touching it to her chin in a thoughtful gesture.. Dysnomia: "I was wondering how we'd get to the center." Dysnomia: "So that's is your plan." Dysnomia tittered to herself, as Sougo tried his best to stand up, and failed. Dysnomia: "You are the cutest little Demon King." Experimentally, she tried to pat his back with her tail, like she would an appendage. Her ear-wings quivered happily when she realized it was working. Dysnomia: "The place in the middle of all the mystery dungeons is across the sea." Dysnomia: "Isn't that right?"
Ru Li Cheng	Ru Li doesn't get a 'morning.' The strange creature's face falls very slightly, but it's only slightly. He's used to being the outsider, after all. He floats after the rest of the group in silent contemplation. Why is he different? Is it because he's a god? In that case, wouldn't the three be different, too? They're some form of demons. Shouldn't someone else, also, be something like him - something that obviously didn't fit in? One of the demons (he doesn't remember their names yet, and hasn't connected them with their Pokemon selves) gives him a 'good morning.' The weird cat face smiles and hovers over to return it with a nod. His mind's wandering. But, after a moment, he says, Ru Li: <Erm...would you like some help eating? I can...move the food, if you like. Mentally, I think.> He thinks. He's not going to be...great at it, but he can at least lift things up! He's pretty sure of that.
Meika Kirenai	Aid offer rejected! Meika doesn't particularly mind, though, as Spinda struggles back up to their feet- foot. The extended hand gets pulled back to cover up a small giggle. Meika: "Ah, aha, sorry! Yeah. You've got this." She doesn't correct herself at Spinda's ensuing half-stumble- they're still standing for now, after all. Instead, she yawns, and starts off into the main hall. The bustle and clamor of it all makes her ears flicker, anxiously. It's loud hearing so many voices mumbling and talking at once, of strangers, some of which talking about them all. Meika: "Wait, we're not going to get... carried, there, or something? Huh? You're... talking like somebody's going to do that.." Her voice is mumbly, as she skirts by the gathered Woopers and Guild staff. Defensively, her right hand clutches at her forearm. If it's across the sea, they've got to have boats, or... She lets out an exhaled little huff, at Valence's invitation for others to help out cooking. Initial confused assumption aside, she wasn't sure what the situation of food here would be like, but helping out in a big kitchen is still helping out a bit. Timidly, she half-raises a paw to try and volunteer- but lowers it once the a few of the Elites have already been snatched away to work. Instead, in the way that's always all too awkward to do in lingering crowds, Meika steps off to go and find somewhere to stand. Unconsciously, she starts to itch at the fur of her left arm, a passive fidget she's ingrained into her behavior, as she waits for the mess hall to open up.
Petra Soroka	"--Wait. Yeah. So Cinder and you . . . ?" Petra stares at Ahn and Lotus uncomprehendingly for a second, then blushes and flails her arms, electricity sparking out of the minus signs on her cheeks. Petra" "Cinder and I--!" Petra: "That's not--!" Petra: "I-- I mean, o-of course I know her really well, but we--!" Petra: "O-okay, I guess I've woken up next to her onc-- twice-- a-a few times but--" Petra: "But not!! Like that!! I've never--" She's hauled away by Valence before explaining what exactly she's never done, and thankfully also before panicking and claiming that she and Cinder are just friends. In the kitchen, Valence snatches a spare chef's hat off of a hook on the wall, and replaces the towel on her head with it. She struts around the kitchen, gesturing with a ladle to corral and guide the temporary chefs, and instructing Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour on where to bring each completed plate. Beedrill: ".........." Beedrill: "Since when were you in charge of my kitchen, Valence?" Valence: "Since I was dragged out of my bed in the middle of the night to help an alien Minun discharge so she didn't faint in the middle of your Guild, Beedrill." Woz gets heaps of praise, and his knifework absolutely delights Valence. Cinder is encouraged, and Satori is given enthusiastic recognition of each apple she improves by. Valence watches Utsuho and Rin's work curiously, and seems thrilled by the results. Petra, however, isn't given quite as much of a gentle touch, and Valence lightly whaps her on the back with the ladle. Petra: "Heyyy..." Valence: "You're wasting half the strawberry cutting it like that!" Valence: "You're going to be doing this long past breakfast, you know, so you've got to do it properly." Petra: "Huh? Wait, why am I--?" Valence: "You're still in my care, little alien." Valence: "That means you're working with me." Valence: "Preparing supplies for the expedition, not leaving on it." Petra: "No! Of course I'm going! I--" Petra: "I'm literally fucking fine! I'm a-- I'm strong! I'm supposed to be out there too!" Valence: "Oh, hush, dear. Doing a little supply work won't be the end of the world." Valence: "In fact, it'll probably be what saves it!" The Bidoof that Aidan approaches chitters and anxiously tags along behind him to the job board. While he's perusing it, Bidoof wobbles uncertainly, then manages to speak up, in a bright, shakily friendly voice. Bidoof: "Ah, oh golly. You're new here too, right?" Bidoof: "I'm Bidoof, yup yup." Bidoof: "Just got here myself, about a week ago." Bidoof: "Guess that means I'm your senior, hyuk hyuk hyuk." Bidoof: "..................." Bidoof: "Sorry." Still sticking with Aidan as he mingles with the crowd outside the mess hall door, it becomes very clear, very quickly, that Bidoof probably does not have anyone else to talk to. Bidoof: "So, uh, what brings you to explorin' dungeons?" Bidoof: "For me, I've always dreamed of being a greatest explorer in the world, yup yup." Bidoof: "Might be impossible for someone like me, but everyone's got to start somewhere." Bidoof: "But us little guys have the best chances sticking together, yup yup."
Petra Soroka	Kale exits through a ground(?)-level door, rather than climbing back up the stairs and out of the cave system. The hill that the dungeon-turned-Guild is built into allows for multiple levels of exteriors, one of which is an open stone and grass field, roughly cleared out for the exact purpose of what Kale intends to do. There's already a couple Pokemon out there, in fact, though none of them are doing anything physical at the moment. A Timburr and a Machop sit on two rocks, five feet apart, chatting and sipping at a purplish-blue berry smoothie in their little earthenware cups. When they spot Kale, Timburr hops off the rock and approaches him, while Machop scoffs behind him. Timburr: "Woah, hey, bro." Timburr: "What're you coming out here for?" Timburr: "Did you get lost while looking a snack?" Timburr: "Couldn't find the entrance to Beachside Cove?" Timburr snorts, and lifts up the-- decently, but not impressively-- large beam of wood beside him, hefting it around threateningly. Timburr: Course, if you're real tough, you came out here to take a shot." Timburr: "So how about you take it, bro." New Mystery Dungeon Unlocked: Beachside Cove! Wooper: "Our guy." Wooper: "Yeah, Wailord. He's our guy." Wooper: "Got a lot of guys." Wooper: "But he's one of them." Wooper: "Yup." Wooper: "That's true." Liligant: Ahem. Yes, Sougo, Dysnomia. The Wooper Troupe is a party we are negotiating a contract with for overseas passage." Liligant: "Wailord is a water-type Pokemon of prodigious size, and, when equipped with a platform, is capable of carrying many of us to our destination." Tinkaton: The Woopers can be tough to handle. BANG!" Tinkaton: "But like any tough nut, you just gotta know how to crack 'em!" Tinkaton: "WOOPERS!" Wooper: "Yes, Guildmaster." Wooper: "Yes." Wooper: "Yes." Wooper: "Yes." Wooper: "Yes." Wooper: "Yes." Tinkaton: "BREAKFAST'S READY!"
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan doesn't seem to mind at all. He's eager to talk to anyone. Even someone as simple as a Bidoof. "I guess you are! I don't know anything about exploring dungeons. I can fight, but I've never BEEN in a dungeon, only heard about them!" The patrat reaches out to pat Bidoof on the shoulder, "You just gotta keep trying, right! Little guys gotta stick together. You can tell me about dungeons! Are they spooky? Full of skeletons? All the ones I hear about are full of skeletons. Or puzzles. Tell me everything you know about them!" A shout! Aidan nabs the Bidoof by the cheek floof. "Come on! I don't want to miss a second of any of this adventure!" His call extends out to the other Sector Zero Explorers, "Last one to the Mess Hall has to clean the dishes~!"
Angela	Cinder's head snaps over to Ahn. "Oh uh, yeah we went on a date and everything..." She manages. Then blinks. "Oh--wait you mean... Yeah, we were actually just in one of the work lounges. That's last I remember anyway." Then Petra comes to her own conclusions and adds, "Oh wait THAT? No, no, we uh--we didn't." Cinder places her little Cindapaws on her belly. "A-anyway, cooking!" She heads on in to help with brekkie. Angela keeps on watching Ahn while-- --wait no, her gaze is being pulled away as the backpack is pulled away with Petra but her eyes don't slant around to anyone in particular or maybe the Porygon is just like that? ...Or maybe Angela went AFK because this became breakfast and Angela can't eat. ...Yeah that's probably it. "Um, thanks for helping Petra discharge," Cinder says while she's slicing apples.
Kale Hearthward	> "So how about you take it, bro." "We don't have time for this-" "Yes, we do have time." There's no further words. Left Kale goes to dart in and peck. It's easily blocked. "Hmmf. Not warmed up yet... Peck. Peck peck. There's force behind the pecks, but not enough to get through Timburr's defenses. And if Timburr goes to take a shot in return, Kale doesn't fare quite as well. "C'mon - I'm gonna veto this. Let's go. We're going to wear ourselves out or worse, by fighting before we've even left, and we're going to miss breakfast." "... Hmmph... Can't help but feeling like I'm missing something..." Kale heads back in to get breakfast, entirely forgetting that he came out here to see if he could still fly. Oops. He'll just have to test that later.
Hellwarming Trio	The youkai-turned fire and psychic Pokemon are absolutely soaking up all that attention and then some. Utsuho and Rin are already used to getting praise from Satori, but Satori herself isn't. Even if her skill is still limited to reducing waste rather than actually making it visually appealing, it's a different feeling from the doting noises she'd usually get from her all of pets just for existing. Good thing she's got that green cap thing hiding most of her face, even if it's pretty easy to see the blush underneath it. Still, she won't let it get to her head too much, and knowing that the praise can only last as long as she's working means Satori's going to be at this for a while! Any other fruits will be relatively faster to prepare now that her knife work is improving, at least, and it's absolutely at risk of tiring herself out before they even set out to sea. During one of her smaller breaks, though, she checks on Woz! Partially because of that refusal earlier, and partially from noticing that deflated expression earlier. Satori: "Were you expecting to do any of this today? I'm surprised you were able to adapt to this form's lack of hands so quickly." Utsuho and Rin, meanwhile, are pretty good at following Satori's bad example of trying too hard to fit in. Just as well, though, since they're really having a blast getting the food all fancied up with the scorching and the searing and other texture adjustments. They're not sure how to address Petra freaking out at Ahn and Lotus, anyway, although they do try and guess at what it could all be about. Utsuho: "Maybe it's because she sweats a lot?" Rin: "Oh yeah... Waking up like that must be real embarassin' if you're on top of someone else." Utsuho: "... Do I sweat a lot in my sleep?" Rin: "Don't think so. Not unless drooling counts."
Petra Soroka	The doors open and the mass of Guild and Guiild-adjacent Pokemon pour through the floodgates. The mess hall is set up with four long tables, already with plates and bowls of fruit prepared and set out by the Pokemon assigned to the kitchen. Pokemon find their seats with all the ease and habit of a high school class with predefined cliques, with a few exceptions. Bidoof continues to stick by Aidan, chattering to him with beginner-level information interspersed regularly with 'golly's. Valence slips each of the Pokemon in the kitchen a slice of mango-- something not present in any of the bowls-- before shooing them on their way. Petra tags along with Cinder, sticking to her side. She seems a little disheartened by the looming threat of debilitating illness preventing her from going questing, but the mango soothes that a little bit, as she nibbles on it between two paws. Valence: "Aw, you care about her a lot, don't you, dear?" Valence: "Well, I promise I'll take good care of her while you're out saving the world." Valence gives Petra a nudge, lowering her voice to a barely-convincing stage whisper. Valence: "How about you give her a favor, for while she's gone?" Petra: "Huh? I mean, I don't need to count favors with Cinder, she can just--" Petra: "Wait, you mean-- noooo, oh my god, that's too cheesy, absolutely not!" Valence: "Oh? Would you rather send her off with nothing?" Petra doesn't respond, instead ducking her head and pulling her green-sparkling triangle scarf off. It sticks to her cheeks from blushing electricity, and a static charge crackles through it when she pulls it away. She holds it out to Cinder, looking not entirely directly at her. Petra: "Here." Petra: "Y-yeah." Timburr absolutely crows when his swung beam connects with Kale and sends him flying. He struts back over to Machop and they hi-five, hyped up. Timburr: "I'm such a BEAST, dude!" Machop: "Duuude! That was so cool, man!" Machop: "You totally kicked his butt!" Timburr looks back over his shoulder, condescendingly leaning against his lumber, and smirks at Kale. Timburr: "But, hey. I'll give you credit, bro." Timburr: "Not a lot of Pokemon brave enough to challenge me in the first place." Timburr: "Come back when you're a little tougher, I'll give you a rematch." Once everyone is seated and chowing down, Tinkaton and Liligant step up to the front of the room, ahead of all of the tables. Rather than Tinkaton slamming his hammer down to quiet down the chatter, Liligant simply 'ahem's, which accomplishes it just as well. Liligant: "As some of you may have seen, we have some new Pokemon in our midst." Liligant: "These Pokemon-- are aliens, from another world." Liligant: "They have come here to aid us in our expedition." Liligant: "Ahem. So please treat them as kindly as you would any of us. Thank you." Tinkaton: "What kind of omen is that, huh? KABOOM!" Tinkaton: "With all of us! And all of them! And a whole BIG meal inside us!" Tinkaton: "Our Expedition is GUARANTEED to succeed! BANG!" Everyone: "Hooray!!!"
Timespace Riders	Sougo smiles brightly at Mia, ears straight up and bushy tail flicking. Sougo: "Thanks!" In the kitchen, Woz has the most Woz answer possible for Satori. Woz:"Of course I am prepared to serve my Demon King. That the common guildsmon may also benefit is immaterial to me." Woz: "As for the ease of my work, I have had slightly more time to grow accustomed to this form. Even were I without my protections against temporal chicanery, the art of cooking is elevated above such concerns as one's form." Paid with mango, his misgivings with cafeteria work are assuaged--for now. Woz splits his with Sougo, naturally. When the cheer spreads through the commons, the Demon King's voice is heard among it.